Betrayal and the Genesis
by Akira Korai
Summary: This is a telling of the Mega Man story based off of the Protomen's albums. The Protomen have retold the story in a dark, rock opera styled manner, and I hope to portray that story through novelization.


_A/N: Okay, so I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. I've tried to avoid directly quoting the original content as much as possible, but there were just **some **things I can't help but use directly. So for safe measure, there are un-paraphrased bits in here, I'll edit them out when I figure out how to reword it._

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_"My dearest Emily,_

_Tonight will mark the end of a life long dream of mine. The completion of a labor I began as a child, even before I knew the words for it... before I knew the ways to accomplish such a task. And even now my heart is heavy with dread. I fear I've built a great and powerful evil. Or rather, together, Albert and I have built it. I know that I am to blame. I allowed Albert to persuade me to change the designs. I allowed this perversion of my course. This new machine that we've built is unlike any I ever imagined. It looks... like a man. A lifeless steel man. Albert convinced me that even with the new Geological Unmanned Terraforming System we designed, the task of extracting the ore is still too dangerous for a human. He plans to completely replace human workers in the mining sector. The idea of displacing so many men... the annihilation of countless jobs in the name of safety seems an unbalanced trade off. What is worse, the latest prototypes have been revised to carry small firearms. Emily, I fear that I have put you and this entire city in danger. I will speak to him tonight on the matter. Perhaps I can persuade him to scrap the whole project. In the meantime, please be careful. This world is getting darker all the time. I weep at the thought of something terrible happening to you. I could not bear it._

_All my love,_  
_Tom"_

Thomas Light and Albert Wily stood in the workshop of their building, arguing. They bickered over the idea of whether it was remotely a good idea to turn on the machines that they had both spent so long building. After what felt like a lifetime of building a machine army to save people from the hazards of their jobs, Light was afraid, thinking that disaster was inevitable. Wily, on the other hand, thought differently.

"We made our promise to the people long ago Thomas. We can't go back on our word now, it wouldn't be good for our image." Wily said, as convincingly as he could.

"I understand, but my gut feeling keeps telling me that this is a bad idea, once we throw the switch to start this, we can't go back."

Dr. Light looked at the door that would lead into a large room packed full of robots, he then looked down at his own hands before staring off into the distance and muttering to himself,

"My father worked in those mines, and one day, those very mines took him away from my mother and I. It was when I saw his grave, that I swore I wouldn't let this happen to another man. So I decided to bend steel, and make it move. I merely watched as it withstood everything we died going through as men.."

With another pause, light glanced out the window, and then at Wily.

"They've waited a lifetime for this moment, the day that someone would save them. Never again will a son have to say, 'My father worked into his grave.'"

Albert knew Light was still doubting over the idea, and spoke once again.

"Listen to yourself Thomas. And now carefully listen to me. You can replace different parts and get a new machine, and no matter what, they'll follow who ever turns the wheel."

Albert walked up to his friend Thomas, and put his hand on his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"We've spent our entire lives finding out how to make this world a better place. Well, now it's our chance to make things right."

Thomas reluctantly brushed Wily's hand from his shoulder as he walked towards the workshop's window. He peered out at the skyline in front of him. He realized then that he made a promise, not only to himself, but these people, and most importantly, his late father.

"What will become?"

"Huh?"

Wily was confused by Thomas' question, but after a moment he began to understand what he meant.

"You mean in a world labored by machines, right?

"Yes." Light replied sternly, "What will become of the world once we turn them on?"

Neither of the two would dare to answer, for each knew the other's opinion would be different. Finally, after moments of silence, Dr. Light opened his mouth again.

"I only want to do what's best. Emily works so hard, some of the pain she has to endure could bring even the strongest man down to their knee. I just... I just want to make things right."

Finally, a spark of certainty arose in his voice as he uttered words of triumph, each line met by a faint whisper from Wily.

"We can build cities in a day."

"Men would cower."

"We'll build towers touching the heavens!"

"We were never meant to reach that height."

"We will be, heroes!"

"We will build heroes."

With those words, Light reached for a large switch on the wall, and used all of his force to pull the lever down. Once it went as far as it would go, the sounds of gears rattled on the other side of the wall; it was done, the machines were now activated. Light began to walk out of the building through the corridor where the machines were kept, he took note of all the machines with their lifeless eyes facing forwards. Leaving Albert behind, he simply left the building and stepped out into the cold evening air.

Dr. Wily remained in the corridor, and looked at the near endless wave of machines. Each one of them had a set of lifeless eyes as he surveyed through them all as if he was looking for something in particular. Suddenly, his movement stopped when he saw a single red light; it was bright enough to shine through the blacked out, green motorcycle mask it was wearing. A grin caressed his face as his spine shivered.

"It's time."

He motioned with his hand and walked strides to the door with the red-eyed machine in tow.

Dr. Light walked silently down the street, whether he liked it or not, or whether it was the right decision or not, the machines had been activated, and there was no reversing it. He looked down at the sidewalk, muttering to himself, completely lost in thought.

He didn't even notice the automobile drive right past him.


End file.
